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Apple is finally relaxing its stance on third-party repairs, as the company is poised to expand its program of independent repair providers globally.
The tech giant announced last night that this program is expanding to 200 more countries. In regions such as Australia, Brazil, India, Russia, Taiwan and Vietnam, the process will begin next week and the rest of the countries will follow later in the year.
The company originally launched the program in 2019 to allow customers in the US to get their iPhones, specifically basic parts like batteries, speakers, and displays, repaired by authorized third-party vendors. Later, Apple included Macs in the program, and last year the company expanded it to Europe and Canada.
When a third-party service provider joins the program, Apple provides them with original repair manuals, diagnostics, tools, and parts to certify as Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASP). There is no cost to join this program, and service providers must go through a simple training and qualification process to be an eligible AASP.
While the parties may they cost the same as you would pay for them at official Apple repair centers, local stores can attract customers by setting lower service prices. Plus, you don’t have to travel too far to find an official center.
Traditionally, Apple has tried to block third-party repairs several times. In 2018, the company confirmed that its T2 chip would block some repairs on Macs. In 2019, iPhones began displaying a warning label if you replaced your batteries through an unofficial repair center. In recent years, the company has lobbied strongly against legislation on the right to redress. and fought in associated trials.
However, authorities around the world are taking a A tougher stance on demand from manufacturers makes devices easy to repair to last longer. Last year, the EU voted for new right to repair rules that include phones and tablets. In January, France introduced a repairability index that requires manufacturers to include a score to indicate the ease of repairing a device. You can see that some iPhone models score quite low.
Expanding Apple’s repair program is a good first step in allowing Apple customers to easily fix their devices. If only, the company will include more components to eliminate the need for trips to official service centers.
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Posted on Mar 30, 2021 – 06:26 UTC
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